#Review: SECOND DUKE'S THE CHARM by Kate Bateman

 

5 of 5 stars

Tess Townsend, the Duchess of Wansford, never forgave her father for forcing her to marry the ancient duke. The duke disgusted her with his leery ways and she got a lucky break when he collasped on their wedding night before he could consummate the marriage and died. Now Tess was free and she planned to enjoy her new independence. No man had tempted her since until she meets Justin Thornton at a masquerade house party. Neither knew each other's names as passion flared between them. Before their encounter led to more than sizzling kisses, Tess ran away. Little did she know that Thornton was the new Duke of Wansford.

Justin had never forgotten the passionate woman he met at the house party and when he finds out that she's the Duchess of Wansford, he proposes a business deal. They marry, and he'll give her freedom and money she'll need to do what she wants and he'll leave her alone after three months, but Tess has a secret. How she can tell him that she's still a virgin. Each of them are hiding secrets and when a series of mishaps nearly kill them, Justin thinks Tess is out to have him killed. Of course, this leads to a series of misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Can these two come clean and build a life together or will their unwillingness to share their true selves force them to part forever?

I really enjoyed this story. Tess was a wonderfully complex character. She was more than her physical beauty. She had brains and wit to match. It was delightful to see her try, and explain away her lack of knowledge on their wedding night. Justin was a sexy, brooding character. He didn't believe in love and always kept his relationships for only 3 months before he ended them. There are no feelings involved, just pleasure. It was great to see him brought to his knees by Tess. There's a mystery running through the book that Tess helps to solve with her friends and that is quite interesting. I can't wait to read more in this series.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.